The Reliability of the Bible

by Zeke Flores

There are several ways to establish the reliability of the Bible.

One is by manuscript evidence. There are thousands of manuscripts, both whole and partial, of Old and New Testament books that provide harmonized agreement on the teaching of the Bible. Though the original documents are long lost, many of the copies date to within a lifetime of the original author, and the sheer magnitude of the copies attest to their careful preservation.

Another is the archeological evidence. The people, places, and events written are being corroborated almost daily in archeological digs throughout the Middle East.

Yet another is the prophetic evidence. The Bible includes predictions of events that could not be known by guessing or even common sense. For instance, the prophecies concerning Christ's birth alone number in the hundreds. The odds that just a handful of them could be fulfilled in any one man is statistically staggering. That they were all fulfilled in a specific man, Jesus, is statistically impossible. And yet, they were.

However, perhaps one of the most compelling evidence of the Bible's truth is its consistent message of salvation. From cover to cover, it is the only holy book compiled that deals with God's appeal to man for his redemption.

He does, indeed, know the beginning from the end and everything in between.

"Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, 'My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'" (Isaiah 46:9-10).